This invention relates generally to the field of dispensing systems and more particularly, to an improved item dispensing system.
State sponsored lotteries are a popular and accepted method of generating revenue in place of, or in addition to, taxes. One form of lottery uses instant lottery tickets on which number combinations are preprinted before distribution, thereby permitting the player to immediately view the ticket and know whether he/she is a winner. One system of distributing instant lottery tickets is entirely clerical with the tickets being stored in a drawer and counted out by hand. The clerk typically is responsible for keeping track of the number of tickets sold, making redemption payments and providing such sales and payout information to the State. The State then pays the store owner a commission or other monies due. Such a system has the disadvantages of being completely manual and requiring clerical assistance for the entire transaction. Further, the system has no significant security and is susceptible to shrinkage, that is, theft and accounting errors that result in lost revenue and tickets.
Another system for distributing instant lottery tickets is the individual ticket vending machine, which is a stand alone, unattended automated ticket dispenser. The vending machine accepts the customer's cash or credit card payment and provides a selection of lottery tickets corresponding to the payment. The customer then makes various ticket selections having a value equaling the payment. The vending machine monitors the ticket selections and dispenses the lottery tickets selected by the customer. Such a vending machine has the advantages of not requiring the attention of a clerk, being very secure, and providing a high level of reporting by keeping track of how often the machine is accessed to be loaded and serviced, when and how much money is collected, when and which tickets have been selected, etc. Further, the vending machine may be connected via an electronic communications network to a central location which can monitor the activity of the machine. The vending machine may also include a printer for printing reports of machine activity. While the above vending machine has many advantages over the clerical method of distributing instant lottery tickets, it has several disadvantages. For example, the machine unit is an integrated unit and may be relatively large such that its physical size limits its placement at point-of-sale ("POS") locations. Such a large unit is not suitable for location at counter check out lines. Further, such vending machines also generally have only a single level of security; and hence, all accounting information collected by the vending machine is available to anyone who has security access to the machine.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a dispensing system that is more convenient to the retailer and the customer, preferably is more suitable for a check out counter location and avoids the problems of shrinkage and theft while providing detailed accounting and reporting of transactions.